Since that weekend, the laptop computer running station
#1 underwent a thorough anti-overheating overhaul and
now runs as cool as it did when Toshiba manufactured it 10+ years ago.
With essentially a new computer all over again and spiffier internet on both ends, operating NX6T remote from the bay area is becoming fun again.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the QTC packet sending part
of the WAE contest, when the system randomly died in
the middle of that, in addition to the re-boot time, I needed to re-boot my spirits to keep myself "in the chair".
 |
| Running a Frequency on 20 meters |
Remote audio problems prevented me from running SSB or RTTY modes. Luckily the YO
Dx contest and the QSO parties are all predominantly CW affairs; at least for me anyway.
Radio-wise I ran an Elecraft K3 into an ACOM 2000a amplifier out to the usual bevvy of yagi's
(a C-31 and a 3-el Stepp-IR), 2 elements on 40 and a droopy inverted vee for 80/75.
As it turns out, poor timing and technical difficulties allowed only ONE QSO in the YO contest. Nevertheless, I WILL send in a log; I've won certs in HQP for 2 QSO logs, so anything can happen.
For OHQP I did not find any operating time until after 03:30z; less than 1/2 hour before the end
of that QSO party for 2017. (It's a shame the OHQP doesn't support a 2nd operating period, as does the KQP contest in Kansas). Luckily I made a quick 11 QSOs with Ohio on 40 meters and a final 2 on
80; and again, enough worth sending in a log.
For the Kansas QSO Party (KQP), I missed the first segment on Saturday, although I did
manage a couple of hours in the chair on Sunday putting 52 QSOs in the KQP log.
For Hawaii I tuned the bands throughout the weekend; even working one station (KH6CJJ) on
10 meters - which was otherwise dead in Fallbrook. 15 meters produced 5 Hawaiian stations,
while 40 meters produced 9.
I defined an N1MM function key JUST for them that says "KH6 ONLY".
As you can see WQ6X was readily spotted on 15 meters; and yet, there were VERY FEW actual Hawaiian stations. Sometimes "statistical diagrams" can be misleading.
 |
| HQP Multipliers |
Multiplier-wise WQ6X worked only
6 of the 14 Hawaiian counties.
NII & MOL & LAN were expected
lo-shows. I was surprised that PRL (Pearl) was for me a no-show.
Who nose, it might have been easier if I had been able to run RTTY & SSB. Maybe next year.
When it is all over with we get the "Bonus" for all of those long hours:
pretty bar charts detailing how we
actually did.
It always looks better afterward; or not. In this case, stats within stats details everything that happened.
if there is a TON of atmospheric noise, the little 100-watt home station operators all over Hawaii will not break thru the California noise level; as I'm sure was the case.
Normally, working KH6 on 80 meters from Fallbrook is a slamdonk.
This year, if they were there the
noise swallowed them up.
I guess the WORST Space-WX storms can occur with a minimum of sunspots to choose from.
As you can see, running multiple contests can be a bit tricky; which is why we utilize software like Wintest and N1MM+. While some multiple state QSO party weekends allow for the logging of many parties in the same log, this last weekend was not one of them (at least not that I am aware of).
No matter HOW its scored, eventually, one log for each contest must be submitted in order to
get credit for having operated in that contest.
 |
| NX6T - After Hours |
Did you work HQP, OHQP, KQP or the YO DX Contest?
Is WQ6X in YOUR log?
No comments:
Post a Comment